"…but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24: 15

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Okay…Wait…No…Yes

Last night, we forgot to let Kodi know that we planned to sleep in this morning. Kodi is our 16 year old Shih Tzu who started barking bright and early this morning at 5:00am. On any other day, someone is up and moving around the house that early, but I guess Kodi assumed that we had overslept. I seemed to be the only one in the house who couldn’t sleep through her barking, so I was the lucky winner who had the privilege of taking her out this morning. It has ended up being a pretty productive morning, so maybe I’ll give Kodi an extra treat before the day is done.

It’s a holiday weekend and Cub 2’s birthday weekend! He will be turning 11 tomorrow!

Cub 2 is the reason we came up with a birthday rule in the Party of Six, that you cannot start talking about your birthday until it’s a month away. He used to talk about what he wanted as a gift, where he wanted to eat, and what he wanted to do for his birthday, and then change his mind ten times or more before it actually arrived. On April 24th, he started sharing his birthday plans with us and now it’s finally here. All week, Cub 2 has been making “This is my last time ______ as a ten year old” statements. The other night, it was “This is my last time having dinner on a Wednesday as a ten year old.” During dinner conversation last night, PB asked Cub 2 what his plans were for his future if the NBA doesn’t work out, and he said that he plans to join the Army. I was fine with that until he started talking about what he wanted to do in the Army. He wants to be on a special team or on special assignments…like top secret mission-type stuff. Yes, the type of stuff that will send this Momma Bear’s anxiety level through the ceiling! Both of my boy cubs thought it was amusing that I didn’t think I could handle either of them being in the military, but it didn’t really change their desire. I resolved that they could take credit for drawing me closer to Jesus! Really!

As my cubs get older and make more decisions on their own, I find my responses to their actions, questions, and decisions can be narrowed down to about four responses from me (either in my head or spoken aloud) – Okay, Wait, No, or Yes – and in between each thought there is time spent with Jesus. Here are a few examples:

Cub 1 wants to hang out at the park with some boys from his school? No. We need to know the parents and the kids.

Cubs 2 and 3 want to walk to and from school? Okay, if I feel like walking. Alone? No.

Cub 4 wants a play date with a friend? Okay! Wait, without me? No. Well, let’s wait until you can read words like “peanuts” and “eggs” and “seeds” so that I don’t worry about you eating the wrong thing.

Cub 1 wants to practice driving since he’s getting a learner’s permit soon? No. Okay, wait. While you’re in the country with Grandma? Yes.

Cub 4 wants to go to Kindergarten? NOOOOOO!! Okay, okay…yes, but MB is not happy about it!

Do you see why it’s necessary for me to spend so much time with Jesus? It’s to remind myself that God loves my cubs better and more than I ever will be able to love them. He’s entrusted them to PB and me, but they belong to Him.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

Our responsibility is to teach them to love God. That is a definite YES!